


Eleven Through The Looking Glass

by eboi



Category: Dragon Quest Series, Dragon Quest XI
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Deviates From Canon, Dragon Quest XI Act III Spoilers, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mute Hero | Luminary (Dragon Quest XI), Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:41:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28198575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eboi/pseuds/eboi
Summary: In which the intra-party relations aren’t what they should be, Serenica is far from serene, and Eleven just wants to make pretty things. Major Act III spoilers ahead.Where Time’s Sphere had shattered, iridescent liquid pooled on the floor, surrounded by shards of broken glass.And from the liquid, like looking through a window, Erik saw Arboria.In the center stood Eleven, the Sword of Shadows still in his hands.
Relationships: Camus | Erik & Hero | Luminary, Camus | Erik/Hero | Luminary (Dragon Quest XI), Graig | Hendrik/Sylvia | Sylvando (Dragon Quest XI)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 22





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic! I hope to update every second day for now. Thanks for reading! (my tumblr is sylvandoplath btw)

Eleven POV

_ You wish to save your departed friend? You must break Time’s Sphere. But remember… To lose time … Is to lose much…. Time passed… Is time lost… _

‘Time travel eh? Oh Laddie, think of all the good you’ll get to do. You can fix all the damage you did, go back to before the fall of Dundrasil, save Eleanor, save the kingdom -’

‘Hold your horses now old man’, Erik cut off Rab before he could get too ahead of himself. ‘Eleven was an infant when Dundrasil fell. How in bloody hell is he, pray tell, meant to stop the Lord of Shadows when he can’t go two hours without a nap?

_ The Luminary… Will not get to choose when Time choses to continue… The Luminary… will re-enter the world… as Time sees fit… Should he decide… to break the Sphere... _

‘It’s not a choice really’, Rab began again, all but ignoring the Timekeeper. ‘It’s your duty as Crown Prince to protect Erdrea at any cost. Dundrasil aside, you can stop the destruction, the death, the darkness that came with Yggdrasil’s fall.’

Eleven nodded slowly. Rab had always been obsessed with his duty as a prince. This time however, he was right. It wasn’t a choice. The guilt he’d be left with, by not saving Veronica, by _ choosing _ not to save her, when this perfect opportunity was presented to him, would be all-consuming.

‘Hey, hey now, it is a choice, Rab.’ Erik shot him a pointed glare. ‘And it’s Eleven’s to make.’ 

_ ‘It’s not though, is it? You know I have to go, Erik. If there’s a chance I can save her, I have to take it,’ _ Eleven signed as best he could, what with one of Erik’s arms slung across his shoulders. ‘ _ Maybe this is what Yggdrasil intended for me _ ’

He glanced around at the rest of the party, looking for support. Besides Rab, who seemed rather pleased with himself to be on the same side as the Luminary for once, everyone avoided his gaze. 

‘Fuck Yggdrasil,’ Erik muttered finally, the grip on his shoulder tightening.

Serena gasped, aghast. Cursing the World Tree was not something she took kindly too.

‘Fuck Yggdrasil, El, I mean it. Fuck whatever destiny she has for you.’ His voice was edged with desperation. 

Eleven shrugged.

‘Please Ellie, you’ve done enough. Yggdrasil knows, we’ve all done enough. Ronnie sacrificed herself knowing what it meant. She did it… She did it so you wouldn’t have to suffer any longer. Please…’

‘How would you know what Ronnie was thinking?’ Serena was holding herself to her full height, shoulders back and eyes ahead, but still her voice came no more than a whisper.

‘And how would  _ you _ know?’ Sylvando threw back, mocking and cruel. ‘It’s not like you knew her as well as you thought you did.’

Veronica’s death had hit him hard. The two had been joined at the hip before Yggdrasil’s fall. Every night they would sit together by the campfire, Sylvando’s dramatic re-enactments of the day’s adventure leaving Veronica in fits of giggles

Eleven knew Sylvando would face Mordegen ten times over to hear that laughter again.

They all expressed their grief in different ways. Serena had become strong, Erik protective, and Sylvando mean. No one to keep up with his witty commentary anymore, he had taken to doling out snide remarks at the expense of those around him. Hendrick used to take most of the damage, being an easy target and usually the closest in proximity. For the most part, he let it wash over him, but there comes a point when the digs start to build up. He had left Sylvabdo, and the party, just shy of a month ago.

It wasn’t just Hendrick. The whole party was falling apart.

‘Shut it Slyv,’ Jade cut in, narrowing her eyes at the jester. 

‘You shut it, princess’.

_ ‘I’m doing it,’ _ Eleven signed firmly, anything to stop the fight escalating, as it often did. ‘ _ I’ll make things right’. _

The bickering came to a halt. 

Erik closed his eyes, seeming to realise this wasn’t a battle he could win. 

‘Wherever you end up, just make sure you tell us what happened. We might not have learned your language yet, so make sure you have a pen and paper at all times, like back in the day’.

Eleven took out the notepad from his pocket to show he still had it.

‘And… don’t forget… Don’t forget that I love you, El. Even if I don’t know it yet.’ He took a shaky breath and pulled Eleven into a tight hug.

_ ‘I love you too’ _ Eleven signed into his chest.

_ Sorry… To interrupt…  _

Eleven and Erik broke apart.

_ You must not tell anyone from the Past about your Future …. To do so… Would injure Time… Possibly… For ever…. _

Eleven nodded. Taking one last look at his partner’s face, he stepped past the Time Keeper and swung the Sword of Shadows.

Time’s Sphere shattered.

* * *

  
  


Erik’s POV

Eleven was gone. His companion of three years was gone. But Erik was still here.

He was still here.

Wait - 

‘Um excuse me lady, why are we still here? Does this mean Eleven failed?’ His voice started to rise as the panic set in. ‘You never said anything about this. You never said we’d have to live without him. How does this time travel work? What… What happened? What -’

_ Watch… Thief… And you will see… _

Where Time’s Sphere had shattered, iridescent liquid pooled on the floor, surrounded by shards of broken glass. 

And from the liquid, like looking through a window, Erik saw Arboria. 

In the center stood Eleven, the Sword of Shadows still in his hands.

  
  


* * *


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jasper was on his knees, Carnelian's, or rather Mordegon’s, sword at his throat.
> 
> ‘Master…’ He was gasping for air. ‘Master, please, I beg you’.
> 
> ‘Silence, faithless cur. Death is more than you deserve.’

  
  


Eleven POV

Time’s Sphere shattered. 

Slowly, Eleven prised open his eyes. He was in Arboria, the Sword of Shadows still in his hands. 

It had worked. Breaking the sphere had worked. Now all he had to do was figure out -

\- ‘Why are ye dressed like yer a wee girlie out of Oogler’s Digest?’ Rab’s sudden appearance behind him made Eleven jump. He looked down at his clothes. The Mardi Garb looked back at him, his favourite out of all his outfits. Erik had always maintained that the purple brought out his eyes. 

‘It’s not really befitting for a prince such as yerself to be in that sort of getup.’

Eleven stiffened. Rab had always been quite… dismissive, to say the least, of things he deemed ‘emasculating’, but Eleven had forgotten just how bad he was in the beginning. Sylvando had managed to wear him down in the last year or so, but when they had first met, Rab couldn’t even look the jester in the eye.

_ ‘I… I found it,’  _ Eleven signed frantically, remembering the Time Keeper’s warning. 

Rab looked at him blankly.

‘Are ye swotting a fly, son? Come on now, change out of that old costume so we can meet Father Benedictus. We can’t have the poor man seeing ye like that’. Rab turned on his heels and started towards the town centre. 

Erik looked down at his clothes again, rubbing the fabric between his fingertips. He didn’t really want to take it off. The feathers made him smile, the clever stitching and pretty embroidery a rare source of beauty when the world had been so dark after Yggdrasil’s Fall.

He supposed that wouldn’t be a reason to need it any longer. This time, Yggdrasil wouldn’t fall. Not if he could help it.

Taking a deep breath, he rooted through his bag and pulled out his old purple duster. It had certainly seen better days, but it would have to do. 

* * *

Veronica was deep in prayer when Eleven found her. He supposed it was probably a violation of her privacy, listening in when she was clearly oblivious to his presence, but he couldn’t help it. She was so vibrant, so bright, so  _ alive. _

‘Oi! What Are you doing here?’

_ ‘Sorry…’  _ he started to sign before remembering she couldn’t understand. He moved the hand to scratch the back of his neck. This was going to take some getting used to.

‘Wait, you weren’t listening were you?’

He shook his head once, not quite convincingly.

‘What do you think you’re up to, waltzing in here with that great ugly thing strapped to your back, anyway? And where in the world have you been?’

Eleven moved to pull out his notebook. Before the party learned his language, they saw him as some humble monk. Explaining everything as some sort of vision shouldn’t be a problem. 

_ I saw in a vision _

He hesitated, thinking hard.

_ from Yggdrasil, that we would need it to defeat Mordegon. When I woke up, it was in my hands. _

He passed the notebook to her. She read through it, then narrowed her eyes at him.

‘So you were napping? At a time like this?’

He nodded, sheepish.

‘Figures. Go be holy and have visions elsewhere then. I’m still busy.’

When she had died, the party used to talk about her like she was some pious angel, almost putting her on the same level as Yggdrasil herself. Eleven felt a pang of guilt as he realised what a disservice they had been doing her, by slowly forgetting her irreverence and wit. What made Veronica Veronica.

Just as the party had felt guilty upon realising that Eleven had a personality beyond being Yggdrasil’s favourite leaf. When they learned sign language, and he could finally communicate freely without the cumbersome barrier of paper, his friends had to quickly come to terms with the fact he was no Holy Joe. At first, they had been shocked by his fondness for sarcasm, but they grew to appreciate his dry jokes at times when jokes probably should not have been made. 

Veronica thrust the notebook back to him just as the rest of the part burst in like a storm.

‘Darling, there you are! We couldn’t find you anywhere! Oh, we were so worried about you!’ Sylvando stood hands clasped, a bright smile illuminating his face.

Eleven saw Rab curl his lip. 

The old man was really starting to get on his nerves.

‘You okay Eleven? You look a bit funny.’ Erik, observant as always.

‘Oh, he just had another one of his  _ visions _ ,’ Veronica jumped in for him.

That was another thing he forgot he hated. People speaking for him.

‘Ahem,’

Eleven turned to see the weird priest standing in the corner. 

‘To reach the World Tree, you will have to cross the gates and travel through the Aborian Highlands to the First Forest. May luck be with you, children of Yggdrasil’.

* * *

Before

They were sitting around a campfire, lovers paired off, Rab sitting alone, as was the usual. It had only been half a year since Veronica’s death, and the party was in a state of shock, but still together, still compassionate towards each other in their shared grief. 

Sylvando was sitting practically in Hendrick’s lap, the latter smitten but as always, painfully self aware.

He cleared his throat. ‘I realise that I didn’t know Veronica like the rest of you, but,’ he hesitated, ‘her life was not lost for nothing. She died… She died so this world could live. I have no doubt that her name will be revered for generations to come’

The others nodded.

Hendrick cleared his throat again. ‘Not like Jasper,’ he said finally, his voice cracking slightly.

‘What’s that, honey?’ Sylvando moved to sit even closer, if that was possible. Eleven wondered what the knight was getting at.

‘Jasper died for nothing. How useless…’ his voice cracked again, ‘how useless it is to die for nothing. I never even had the chance to tell him that…’

‘That what, baby?’

Eleven shared a look with Erik. The thief now owed him 20 coins.

‘That I… That I loved him.’

‘Oh, honey.’ Sylvando planted a kiss on Hendrick’s forehead. 

Eleven felt anger pool in his stomach. The 20 coins aside, the reminder that Mordegon had taken so much from so many was enough to sour any good mood.

‘ _ His life was not lived in vain, Hendrick, He will be remembered, not just for his misdeeds, but for the good he accomplished throughout his life,’  _ Eleven signed from across the campsite, legs draped over Erik’s. It was a lie, and everyone knew it. No one is remembered for their handful of kindnesses.

All the same, Hendrick managed a small smile, and nodded. ‘I know, Eleven, thank you.’

‘You won’t leave me for his ghost though, right, honey?’ Sylvando asked, always trying to bring a smile.

‘Of course not.’ He smiled warmly at his jester, love clear as day in his eyes.

* * *

  
  
  


After

Jasper was on his knees, Carnelian's, or rather Mordegon’s, sword at his throat.

‘Master…’ He was gasping for air. ‘Master, please, I beg you’.

‘Silence, faithless cur. Death is more than you deserve.’

Any semblance of hope left Jasper’s eyes.

Eleven pulled at his collar, unsure of what to do. Maybe Jasper deserved a chance to redeem himself? If Hendrick could love him, there must be some good worth saving in the man.

‘Do it,’ Jasper hissed. ‘Kill me like the coward you are. Getting others to do your dirty work, you thankless fraud.’

‘It is not I who is the fraud, traitor.’

‘Traitor? Traitor?’ Jasper’s voice rose, incredulous. ‘How can you call me a traitor, after all the things I have seen you do?.’

Mordegon drew the sword above his head, ready to swing.

Without taking the time to think twice, Eleven jumped between them and threw the villain posing as king to the floor. 

Hendrick drew his sword towards Eleven. 

The rest of the party drew their swords towards Hendrick.

Whipping out his notebook as fast as he could, Eleven wrote frantically.

_ Sorry for pushing you, your highness, but shouldn’t criminals receive a trial? No matter how terrible their crimes?’ _

Mordegon grunted, and pushed himself off the floor. He couldn’t say no. 

Eleven was the last to leave. He picked up Jasper’s fallen locket as he went, and slipped it carefully in his bag. 

_ 'Please let this not backfire on me,'  _ he signed to no one, and followed his party.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you got this far, thank you sm!! The story should start coming together by the next chapter, and hopefully it will become clear where I'm going with this.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erik passed his hand through the liquid, thicker than water and cool to the touch. The party had sat and watched as El journeyed with their younger selves from Arboria, to its highlands, to First Forest, and now finally to the World Tree Herself. The monsters he faced along the way, still uncorrupted by Yggdrasil’s Fall, were almost laughable in their benignity. 

  
  


Erik POV

Erik passed his hand through the liquid, thicker than water and cool to the touch. The party had sat and watched as El journeyed with their younger selves from Arboria, to its highlands, to First Forest, and now finally to the World Tree Herself. The monsters he faced along the way, still uncorrupted by Yggdrasil’s Fall, were almost laughable in their benignity. 

Slow ripples in the silver pool signified another change in scene.

Erik leaned forward, and peered at the images forming before them.

_ The party were gathered before the Heart of Yggdrasil, all eyes gazing upon the Sword of Light. _

_ Now they faced away from the Heart, battling a Jasper wrapped in darkness. _

_ Now Jasper was on the floor. _

_ Now Mordegon was over him, sword in hand. _

_ Now Eleven was between them, desperation in his eyes. _

Erik glanced at the jester next to him. Sylvando’s eyes were fixed to the scene before them, his stare directed at Hendrick, whose own attention was locked on Jasper. 

He was breathing hard, jaw clenched. Serena had put a hand on his shoulder, and was speaking softly to the jester.

‘It’s okay, Sylv. That man would never cheat on you. He loves you too much.’’

Small ripples wrinkled the mirror once again.

‘Not in that world he doesn’t.’ Sylvando brushed the hand away.

  
  
  


* * *

Eleven POV

The castle was just as suffocating as he’d remembered. Guards and servants lined every room, and despite their averted gaze, Eleven felt he was being watched.

He wanted to ask about his family in the dungeons, wanted to see his mother and Gemma alive and well in this new world, but they were walking too fast for him to write in his notebook. Instead he wrung his hands, looking back and forth between the party members, hoping one would stop and notice his nervousness. 

He settled on pulling at Veronica’s sleeve, the mage walking beside him. 

She turned her head and smiled brightly. ‘Alright, Ellie? Best hurry so we don’t keep Carnelian waiting.’

She turned back and kept walking.

He dropped his hand. Something was off about Veronica, and had been since they left the World Tree. Eleven couldn’t place what it was exactly, but she seemed uncharacteristically calm, her language oddly unlittered by curses and cusses. 

Ahead of him, Hendrick marched towards the throne room, dragging Jasper behind him, his hands and feet bound in shackles. Sylvando danced around the disgraced soldier, trying for a reaction.

‘Come on now Jasper, darling, why so glum? I know many young ladies who would be thrilled to be in your place right now, what with those chains and Henny Wenny here…’

Hendrick’s jaw clenched.

‘You’re welcome to swap,’ said Jasper, then tugged his wrists to the side. The chains strained, and Hendrick stumbled, shock crossing his face for the briefest of moments. Jasper smirked at Sylvando while Hendrick regained his composure. 

‘Enough,’ he barked. 

Sylvando gave Jasper one last impish look before slinking back to rejoin the rest of the party.

‘What was that,’ Erik hissed at him. ‘Trying to flirt with Mordegon’s right hand man?’

‘Now we don’t know that for sure, darling,’ Sylvando shot back. ‘And have you seen his hair? Yggdrasil would never create such a good looking leaf and let him be a villain.’

‘And how’d you come up with that logic, idiot?’

‘Well, by simply observing the evidence-’

-‘Whisht you too,’ Rab cut in. ‘We’re here.’

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter was so short! I'm a bit of a perfectionist, and combine that with the chronic procrastination, well we all know how the story goes. I knew I had to just publish this chapter now or I'd still be rewriting it next year. Hopefully you won't have to wait as long for the next one! As always, thank you for reading! My tumblr is @sylvandoplath


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